A House of Cards
by rwbybomb21
Summary: Updated Summary: Ruby was something of an oddity to Remnant; luck seemed to be her forte, and no matter what she never showed her hand. One day, though, those cards will reveal themselves, and when that happens...her seemingly inifinite luck may just finally run out.


**Got this idea from some guy in the Naruto fandom; he made two chapters of a story that had two distinct miniature stories, each with different ideas in them...though I can't recall who it was or what the title was.**

 **I can tell you this though; much of this was based off of the second chapter- well, mainly Ruby's fighting style, but I know you'll like this. It's sadly a one shot; I don't have the time to continue this on to a full story -Just yet ;)**

 **But, if anyone wants to, they can carry it on; as long as it follows the direction they think this story will go, and as long as they try to keep to the angst and Ruby's attitude, then they can go right ahead and continue this.**

 **Also, just a side not; enjoy the story.**

(^^^^^^)

" _Life may not have dealt you a great set of cards... but who says the one with better cards will win?"_

 _-Manoj Vaz-_

(^^^^^^)

Gambling isn't a lifestyle, if more so a choice.

You choose to tempt fate, because, in the end, Fate doesn't tempt you. It simply humours you to continue winning in a simple game of cards which, eventually, you will lose. Your winning streak will turn into a losing streak, and before you know it you will have spent every penny you own trying to win back your losses.

Lady Fate doesn't like getting tempted too often, but once in a while a mortal comes along with luck that even she would blush at, blowing her fortune out of the water; these are known, simply, as winners. As said before, every winner loses eventually, and the day comes when your debts from the card games and rents you owe come to bite you in the ass- but the lucky ones born with natural talent can avoid ever losing in the first place.

When someone wins at anything- whether cheating death, or beating some video game- luck and chance all have some part in it. _'Lady Luck smiles on those who win'_ , is an old saying many drunkards around Atlas and Menagerie speak; more of, they state it as if it were some fact, some insightful wisdom of which was their soul duty to impeach upon those younger generations of gamblers, providing hope in the next game of chance they partake in.

The luckiest of all were those who never gambled in the first place, but one Ruby Rose could thoroughly state, with a clear mind and light heart, that not gambling with anything would mean you had died.

Everything was a gamble, from whether you burnt your toast in the morning to whether you remember the answers you'd studied hard for in an upcoming test or quiz. Everything was a gamble...Ruby could attest to that clearly.

Everything she did was a game of chance, hence her nickname 'The Beacon Gambler', though she had snorted when she first heard her nickname of a sorts being spread around. Then it escalated to 'Vale's Miss Fortune', and finally, she went by the well known visage of Ruby Rose, 'Remnant's Lady Luck'.

Sitting in an oak wood chair with metal polishing on the legs, Ruby could say that she had never lost anything since she was five. Before that however...well, she still had nightmares, even to this day, but that was something she shook her head at. Ruby didn't need to dig up memories that were better haunting her at night rather than day, and she was quite alright with the fact that she got a maximum of four hours sleep every night.

Dressed in her usual uniform of a black high-collared trench coat with her trademark red cloak and her school uniform, Ruby always told herself she looked 'swag'. She'd heard some students using it as a new alternative to 'cool', and to keep up with the times, decided to use it as her own description of her appearance.

Looking around, she caught the eye of her sister, Yang; lilac eyes widened for a second as Ruby smiled at her. Ruby would only smile at Yang, but with the smiles being so few and far between, Yang was surprised every time she saw one. They were like personal gifts from Ruby to herself, so Yang took a mental picture of each and every one, whether they are sad smiles or happy ones, and locked them in her mental safe.

Weiss was asleep in her bed, soft snores barely audible coming from her partner; she'd decided to mix things up a little and purposefully head towards Weiss during her initiation: not that she even needed to be part of it, she was at Beacon longer than some of the third years.

She'd been here nearly her entire life, living under the roof of Ozpin's academy after the kindly old man with a cane found her one day. He was just walking from a meeting with a fellow academy headmaster, and had spotted her with cuts covering every inch of her and barely a scrap of clothing on her body; she was tucked behind a large dumpster with a simple playing card in her hand, wielded as if it were a weapon.

Looking down at the small pouch strapped to her left thigh, Ruby grimaced; she still had that card, bloodied and torn but she kept it nevertheless.

Deciding they'd all waited around long enough, Ruby clapped her hands twice, the noise bouncing through the room and causing two heads to perk up; Blake's from behind her book and Yang's from behind her pillow.

Weiss snored away, but one solid kick of the bed by Yang and she was on the ground groaning.

Ruby looked amused, but her lips didn't twitch in any way; Blake had decided to stop figuring out her cold leader a while ago, and she did have to admit that having Remnant's 'Lady Luck' as a leader came with great benefits...suck as, for instance, Ruby leading them through the hallways five minutes later while everyone made a small bow and parted for her.

Blake would admit, though, that Ruby didn't seem to care, as if she'd decided that being looked up to like an idol was something she had little shits about. In fact, Blake had asked her once, and all Ruby did was sit down, kick her feet up, and place some old fedora that she seemed to love wearing on her head. Then, with a small nod of her head, she said, and this is a direct quote: _"Look at the amount of shits I do not give."_

"Get a fucking move on team! We got two minutes before the lunch rush." Also, it should be noted that Ruby was quite the potty mouth; swearing was a practical habit for Ruby, and not searing seemed to be a challenge, or some form of impossibility.

Yang could be seen visibly shuddering at the thought of the lunch rush- too many grabby hands in a confined space freaked her out a lot-, and sped up slightly to walk alongside her sister, who took short but purposeful- and fast- steps towards the currently empty canteen.

Just as they arrived, Blake could hear the bells go signalling lunch, and so followed the rest of RWBY's example; she grabbed as much food as she could before her favourites were taken away.

Weiss had a small salad; as always, Ruby thought with a shake of her head- did the girl eat anything other than salad and the occasional small chocolate bar? Turning her head slightly, she noticed Yang sat close to her on her left, eating away at a rather large chicken leg; Christ what did they feed those birds? That thing her sister was eating looked like it was torn from an Ursa!

Blake had her standard tuna sandwich, with a glass of milk and a couple of cookies; Ruby figured that the tuna was her Faunus thing, milk was a favourite of hers and the cookies...well actually, why _did_ Blake get the cookies? She watched Blake idly grab at one, her head behind a book, as she dunked it into the glass of milk and lifted it to her mouth, only taking her head away from the book as to not get any crumbs on it when she ate it.

Oh, so _that's_ why. It made perfect sense to Ruby; I mean, she may not have the mentality of a kid, but Ruby could say that cookies and milk was a relaxing mixture for lunch, or just a simple snack...even if it was 'childish'.

Ruby looked down at the space in front of her; what did she get, as usual? A glass of water with a simple chicken burger; while, yes, not filling, the food was tasty and- unlike most other school provided foods- left a nice after-taste in her mouth.

It was one of the only things the cooks in the back knew to keep on the side for her; being around at Beacon for a long time had its perks.

"Fuuuuuck." Ruby had taken a bite into the burger, and as always it was simple, sheer, bliss. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the burger in almost wonder, but her mouth in a straight line. "Oh god, this burger, every time...Soooooo good, so fucking good~." On the last word she moaned, and Yang, Weiss and Blake all blushed; the way she moaned sounded so...so lewd, so blissfully rude, that all girls in the presence of Ruby's moans grew hot. Their blushes, needles to say, remained the entire time Ruby at her burger.

(^^^^^^)

With it being near the end of the year and the Vytal Festival closing in on them, it was only proper that family show up at the school to congratulate them; mostly for staying in Beacon for more than a month, and mostly because they missed them. instead of visiting, usually due to business, many called them on their scrolls, or through their personal mobile phones.

Blake was on her scroll to Sun, who, like her, had no family that they wished to see- they had family, don't get me wrong, but they just didn't see eye-to-eye on things. Blake, while talking to Sun, was actually smiling at the prospect of going to the Festival- mostly just because of the different foods and cultures arriving, but also to meet the rest of her team's families.

Yang was on her scroll talking to her father, who's voice, while muffled, seemed to be clear and crisp to Yang; they seemed like two peas in a pod, what with both of their tendencies to shout words instead of speaking them and the annoying similarity of their voices. Ruby never did like Taiyang- her use of his first name is testament to that- with the reason being that he was a stupid drunk who never knew how to take care of his grieving six year old daughter.

Not her, no, Taiyang never had the _pleasure_ of housing her. Tai couldn't keep his eyes on his six year old- turning seven- daughter who was grieving for Summer and crying when she found out Ruby had disappeared. Well, Ruby wasn't really gone; she left a note with Tai saying she was living at Beacon, but the old fool probably ripped the note to shreds in drunken anger.

Just hearing his voice caused ripples of anger to course through her veins; she _really_ hated that man.

Weiss was talking casually to a woman she presumed was her sister; and then a thought occurred to her.

Why not crash this little family reunion?

Slinking over to Weiss, who was talking away without a care in the world, Ruby slipped her arms around Weiss' waste and grabbed the scroll deftly. She threw her head over her shoulder while she chuckled evilly. "Thanks princess! Let's see who you're chatting to..."

She lifted the scroll to her face, and the picture in it caused her to freeze.

"Winter...?"

" _R-Ruby!?"_

"Ah fuck, Winter if I knew it was you I would have left you two alone." Ruby actually sounded shocked to a degree, and a hint of sadness and regret had crept inside her voice; her smile was still there though, and Winter could be seen smirking through the communicator in her hands.

Weiss, getting over the shock of having her scroll taken away, turned angrily and stomped her way to Ruby. "How the hell do you know my sister!?"

Ruby turned back to the scroll, to Winter whom simply sighed and planted a hand to her face. Her unmarred face always appealed to Ruby- she made that known more than once- and it was especially...pretty- is the word pretty?- when Winter got frustrated. That was why she hadn't jumped Weiss when they met; she may look like her sister, but Ruby knew a year old scar when she saw one- Winter had no scars, so it was kinda obvious to her who was who when it came to it. also, Winter's breasts were bigger- far bigger.

"Well..." Ruby, to make sure it was okay, turned her head to Winter who simply flashed a small smile and a thumbs up- even if it was hesitant, as if she had been debating on whether or not to reveal her secret to Weiss before Ruby made herself known. "We kinda fucked."

Weiss froze, Yang rolled around on the floor cackling like a madman, and Blake's nose ran; touching her hand to her nose, she realised it was blood, which is odd considering she isn't a pervert...or whatever the bloody nose means.

"What." Weiss' face was pale, her mouth slack and her eyes wide. She schooled her appearance, thinking Ruby was joking, but when she heard the face palming of Winter, she knew it wasn't; well, at least not the way Ruby said it.

Ruby smiled, mischief in her eyes when Winter called through the scroll. _"Ruby! Tell her the truth!"_

"Okay, okay...we fucked _a lot_." Placing a hand under her chin, ignoring Weiss' outraged cries and Yang's breathless giggling, she feigned a thinking pose. "I think it was mostly on a couch, a table, and there was that time we did it on your father's desk, though there was New Year that one time..."

" _Ruby, can you not say anything without it being obscene or overly rude?"_

"Nope!" it was said so cheerfully that everybody took her at face value, staring with looks of disbelief. A palm hitting flesh that would later be identified as Winter's palm against her face sounded through the scroll, and immediately Ruby turned her attention to the communication device. "You keep doing that you'll hurt yourself."

"Can we get back to what you meant please?" Weiss was growing angry, her face pulling into the little pout she does with her cheeks reddening and her eyes bulging. They may be blue, but whenever Weiss was angered her eyes turned to a slightly deeper blue than they normally were.

"Winter can tell you, I'm gonna go see if I can torment some of the morons from CRDL with a good card game or two." Turning to the door, Ruby threw her head over her shoulders as she opened the door. "Love ya Winter!"

" _You too Ruby, love you too."_ Almost as if a side note, she snapped through the scroll making Weiss wince and Ruby's eyes to glimmer. _"And don't get in trouble!"_

"No promises~"

The door closed soon after, and Yang had stopped laughing, going back to explaining why she was laughing to her father. Blake had finished talking to Sun and sat there reading a book, but had one ear listening to Weiss' conversation.

"So, care to explain that, Winter?"

Winter sighed, feeling as if she definitely wasn't paid enough for this debacle that Ruby had stirred up. She'd be giving her a piece of her mind later...and maybe a piece of her clothing...or all of it. shaking her head, she sighed once more; she hadn't seen Ruby in nearly six months, so that means no sex for nearly six months, which means...she was _very_ sexually frustrated.

" _As Ruby carelessly mentioned, we're in a sexually active relationship of more than four years now."_

"F...Four years!? She'd have been eleven!"

Yang, listening to Weiss' outraged cry, fist-bumped the air and whooped. "Go Ruby! She got laid when she was eleven, what a baller..."

Weiss snapped her head over to Yang, scowling a face so fierce it shut Yang up immediately. Turning back to the scroll, she could see Winter blushing, her face nearly red with embarrassment at what Yang had said and how true the statement was. Granted, Winter was drunk when they'd met, and granted so was Ruby...but...well, actually, I guess they're both in the wrong then; they took advantage of each other, if that was even possible.

"Cradle robber!"

Winter looked offended at Weiss' screech, and snapped back with a retort that caused Weiss to freeze in fear. _"Shall I tell father what you and that Lance boy got up to behind his back when you were twelve?"_

"N-No..."

" _Then don't be such a hypocrite, Weiss."_ Winter coughed, her face going back to its pale pallor and her eyes loosening from their heavy glare. _"Besides, it's perfectly legal in Patch- which, by the way, is where we met."_

"Oh...I see how that would be legal there, they are a relatively new addition to Vale and only recently had enforced laws on such things."

Winter nodded, her hair that flowed around her left eye bobbling slightly. _"Yes, well, now that we have that out of the way, it would also be a good idea to mention that we're engaged."_

Weiss' eye twitched when she heard Yang burst into laughter again, and saw Blake's nose bleed a little bit harder; what was with that anyway? Was Blake sick?

Turning to the scroll, she glared at a sheepish looking Winter. "Anything else I should know about what you and my new ' _sister-in-law'_ have gotten up to?"

" _...Uh...we had intercourse in your bedroom?"_

The rest of the night was spent with Weiss' frustrated cries into her pillow and Yang's nonstop laughter, along with constant teasing.

(^^^^^^)

Dodging the crimson javelin headed towards her midsection, Ruby spun in the air like a corkscrew horizontally to avoid the shield being thrown at her head.

She'd beaten CRDL in four consecutive poker matches, but for some reason Ruby was feeling fulfilled enough; she had apocket full of Lien, sure, but winning in poker matches only got so far for her. she needed something that pushed her adrenalin glands into overdrive, something that pushed her to her limits.

Also known as combat, but she preferred the words 'beat down'. Why? Well, simply because whoever was fighting her didn't stand a chance, though today she just had to go and pick a fight with the one person that could match her in a simple spar; Pyrrha Nikos.

Her headphones were blasting music into her ears, so she had to rely fully on her sense of sight to tell what was happening, and while dangerous it was exhilarating; up in the stands, Weiss was stood with her scroll recording it all to show to Winter later- the older Schnee had asked for any matches Ruby has to be recorded. Once Weiss asked why, Winter had simply replied with _"Because she's like a ballet dancer when she fights"._ Weiss could see the resemblance between Ruby's dodging skills and a ballet dancer clearly; both were astoundingly elegant, both were incredibly mesmerising, and both were hypnotic.

Ruby resorted to using her weapons; yes, weapons, as in more than one. Fifty four, to be precise; she liked to include the cards no one else included.

In her left hand was a perfect straight flush, each card between her fingers and on the back of her hand. While on her right hand, which Pyrrha's eyes had widened to, was a royal flush, the cards glowing red softly, petals fluttering around her right hand's fingers.

Ruby grinned, her eyes gleaming with excitement, and she whispered just as her music ended. "Your luck's run out."

Throwing both hands at blinding speeds, Pyrrha braced herself as each card slammed against her armoured stomach; in the end, she was flung into the wall opposite where she was stood, her feet leaving the ground as she created a small crater around where she was.

The cards that embedded themselves in her armour loosed themselves from Pyrrha's chest piece, as if by magic, and flew towards Ruby's waiting hand.

Catching them deftly, she walked over to the groaning Pyrrha, who, when given, accepted Ruby's hand to be lifted onto her feet.

Idly, she lifted her hand, where a second later her shield took its place on her forearm.

Now she knew why Ruby was feared by the teachers; this girl was something else.

(^^^^^^)

 **I know, not exactly a stellar ending, but I don't know what to do! I might continue it, I might not; either way, if anyone wants to carry it on, just let me know in a PM; NOT in reviews, I barely read those- I joke, I joke...i reads them occasionally.**


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